Islam and its compatibility with modernity is a much debated issue
in the contemporary period. The course will engage this timely
topic and discuss the most important “hot-button” issues involved in
these debates: political Islam, democracy, pluralism, rights of
women, and globalization, among others. The historical contexts
which provide the backdrop for the range of responses to the
phenomenon of modernity and related issues will also receive
attention. What internal resources exist within Islamic thought
which are being drawn upon by modernists to argue for compatibility
between Islam, modernity, and democracy, for example? Is democracy
(or Islam, for that matter) a monolithic concept? Students will be
expected to actively take part in discussions centered around such
questions, the assigned readings, and class lectures. Prior
exposure to at least one class on Islam or the Middle East is
strongly recommended.
The course is open to both undergraduate and graduate students.